Iridescent
by sputterfly
Summary: When All Might falls to protect his students, Japan is in shambles. Everyone is living in fear of the villains who rule the country. The pro heroes and heroes-in-training are in hiding, and among the wanted are Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki, and Katsuki Bakugo. Luckily for those living in fear, Izuku has a plan to take back Japan. He just needs a little help from his friends.
1. Chapter 1

A gust of wind swept through the empty halls of U.A. High as a black-clad figure snuck through the abandoned building. When he reached the door of his old classroom, he reached out and knocked once, twice, three times. The noise reverberated eerily throughout the building. It was dangerous to sneak and meet up with his former classmates, but Izuku Midoriya knew the risks.

"Midoriya? Is that you?" he heard one of his friends call out from the shadows. From the sound of the voice, it was Eijiro Kirishima. "We haven't seen you since that day. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Izuku answered. He walked over to where Kirishima was sitting in the dark room. "I've been in hiding with my mom and some of our neighbors."

"Have you heard from Bakugo?" Kirishima asked him.

Izuku shook his head. "He and his parents were some of the first to go into hiding after that day."

"Oh yeah? I'm not in hiding now," came a voice from the doorway. Izuku and Kirishima stood up and saw Bakugo standing in the doorway. He walked over and joined them on the floor. "So what did you call us here for, you damn nerd?"

"I sent messages to a few other people," Izuku said, looking toward the door.

"They probably don't want to risk being caught," Kirishima said. "It is after dark, after all."

"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said, looking down at the floor.

"Again, what did you call us here for?" Bakugo repeated. "I'm not going to wait around here all night for you to explain yourself, Deku."

Izuku paused. Since everything came crashing down on them that day, he couldn't think straight. He called his friends here for a meeting knowing that if they were caught, they'd be thrown in jail. "Honestly, I didn't think ahead."

"Shh," Kirishima said. "Did you guys hear that?"

Izuku and Bakugo slid further down where they were seated, and looked over towards the door. They could see a long shadow coming up the hall, and they were unsure whether it was friend or foe. Bakugo glared at Izuku.

"Who all did you invite, you fucking nerd?" he asked him, grabbing him by the collar.

"Just our old classmates, that's it!" Izuku managed to get out. Bakugo let him go.

"You do know that they're monitoring our phone calls and texts?" Bakugo hissed at him. "They could have followed us in here without us even knowing."

_Shit_, Izuku thought. He didn't even think about that. _Guess that's what I get for not planning ahead, I guess._

"It's just us," came a familiar voice. "I was sent here to scope this place out which worked perfectly for meeting up with you guys."

"T-Tokoyami?" Izuku could barely make him out, but there was no mistaking Dark Shadow behind him.

"Hey, you guys!" Dark Shadow said, throwing up a peace sign. "What's shaking?"

"Midoriya, you sent out a text with just coordinates an hour ago. What is it?" Tokoyami asked him.

Before Izuku could speak, however, Dark Shadow spoke up: "We also found a few folks hiding downstairs. They said that they couldn't come upstairs because a few villains were walking around outside the windows and they would have seen them."

"Well, where are they?" Izuku asked.

Tokoyami looked outside the door. "Come on in guys. It's safe."

Suddenly the whole of Class 1-A came into the room, and Izuku smiled to himself. They were all safe. The sudden evacuation and everyone going into hiding had made it difficult for Izuku to make sure that everyone was safe.

"So we're all here," Bakugo said. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah, actually I do," Izuku said. "I gave it a lot of thought, and if you don't want to help out, you don't have to. But… I think I came up with a way to take back our city from the villains."

There was silence. Izuku gulped. _I shouldn't have said anything_, he thought to himself. He looked down at his sneakers, black tonight instead of his traditional red, and closed his eyes.

"Let's hear it," Denki Kaminari said. "I want our city to go back to the way it was before."

"Me too!" Ochaco Uraraka said.

"Well, I thought that we could — "

Suddenly Tokoyami interrupted Izuku. "The villains are on their way here! Everybody hurry, get out of here!"

"Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki should go first!" Uraraka said.

"Yes, good thinking!" Iida said. "They _are_ the top three most wanted by the villains, after all!"

Izuku turned back to look at them. "Will you guys be okay?"

"Of course!" Iida assured them.

Izuku hesitated before leaving. He followed Bakugo out of the room, and they soon caught up with Todoroki. They ran down the staircases of U.A. before reaching the central doorway. He had thought over multiple scenarios in case this had happened, and he decided to put one into action.

"I have an idea," he whispered, just loud enough for them to hear. "Maybe we can hide from the villains, you know until they're gone."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Todoroki asked him.

Izuku nodded to the deserted Heights Alliance dorms. "We hide in there."

Bakugo huffed. "I hate to admit it, but this is a damn good idea, you damned nerd."

Izuku stood to try and get a glimpse out of the front doors of U.A., doors which once filled young up-and-coming heroes with hope and now were plastered with wanted posters of various pro-and semi-pro heroes and well-known students in the hero course, Izuku, Todoroki, and Bakugo among them. A shadowy figure had begun to grow larger, and Izuku gulped.

"We need to get out of here," Todoroki said.

Bakugo jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "We can go down this back hallway here. I think it comes out near the cafeteria."

Izuku nodded. "There's an exit to the outside of the school near there. We can use it to get to the dorms."

They ran down the hall, racing each other. Izuku kept watch out of the windows for any more villains and stopped running when he saw a familiar face.

"Hey you guys, come look!"

Bakugo stomped over to him. "Dammit Deku, you better have a good reason!"

"Bakugo, look," Todoroki said. "Maybe we wouldn't have had to run away after all."

"And why the hell not?"

"That shadowy figure we saw… I think it was Mr. Aizawa."

* * *

Izuku looked around the dark commons area, the same as it was the day they left. Papers had been strewn about due to the wind, but it still felt familiar.

"I'm going up to my old room and I'm taking a nap," Todoroki said.

"Yeah, same for me," Bakugo said.

"I guess that leaves me to keep watch," Izuku said.

Todoroki sighed before turning. "Do you think our friends made it out okay?"

"Of course," Bakugo said.

"Tokoyami knows every way in and out of the school now. He'd make sure that they made it out safely," Izuku said.

"What do you think would happen to us if we were caught?" Todoroki said suddenly.

"Prison," Izuku said.

"Death," Bakugo suggested.

"Very comforting guys."

"Well I know some pros are working with the villains," Izuku said.

"Of course you'd know that, you damned nerd. You know anything there is to do with heroes," Bakugo said.

"Think about it. There was never a wanted poster for Mr. Aizawa. And Gang Orca, there was never a wanted poster issued for him either," Izuku pointed out. "Plus, some of our classmates with Quirks more suited to villains, like Shinso, Monoma, and Hagakure are also working with the villains."

Bakugo narrowed his eyes at Izuku. "How do you know all of this?"

Izuku held up his phone. "I managed to get into the villains' news network on the first day we all went into hiding. Anyway, anything they share with their fellow villains, I know too."

"That's crazy," Todoroki said. "What does it say now?"

"Nothing. So I guess everyone got out of the school okay."

Bakugo walked over to him. "Listen up, you damn nerd. You're going to hack into that news app for me and Icy Hot here before we each go back to our families. And everyone in class 1-A and even class 1-B, got it?"

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Todoroki asked Bakugo. "You're usually not wanting to help others so willingly."

"Think about it. If he does this, we can keep track of each other. We'll know of who all the villains have gotten."

Izuku thought it over. "I could always make an app for people like us to keep track of villains."

Bakugo ran his hands through his hair. "Focus on one thing at a time, you fucking nerd!"

"Right. Got it. Hand me your phones."

Todoroki and Bakugo handed Izuku their phones. He looked at them and sighed. "I don't know if the hacking will be successful, but it's worth a try. They may have changed their software around."

"Whatever. I'm going to lay down," Bakugo said.

"I'm staying to keep guard while he does this," Todoroki said.

"Whatever."

Izuku watched as Bakugo hit the elevator button, and soon it became clear that there was no power in the dorm building. Bakugo kicked the doors to the elevators and came back to sit with Todoroki and Izuku.

"Let's try and find stuff to make a light for Midoriya to see by," Todoroki suggested.

Bakugo grabbed some of the loose papers off of the floor. "Light these up."

"They won't stay lit for long."

Izuku had a sudden idea. "If either of you has a light that runs on batteries in your rooms still, we can put that behind a jug of water."

"That's a good idea," Todoroki said. "Bakugo, let's go search real quick for a light."

"We can't get upstairs, you dumb half-and-half bastard!" Bakugo pointed out.

Todoroki pointed over to the door leading to the staircase. "There's a staircase right there."

Bakugo growled. He stomped over to the door and opened it, proceeding to head upstairs.

"Is there anything you need besides the lights?" Todoroki asked Izuku.

"No, not that I know of," he answered. "But thanks for asking."

Todoroki nodded before leaving to join a rampaging Bakugo. Izuku could hear him going up the stairwell with his Quirk.

"We're going to be found out," Izuku said weakly.

It's not Bakugo's fault. The villains have been after him since the U.A. Sports Festival, wanting him to join them. But Bakugo idolized All Might too much. And as for Todoroki, his father was _Endeavor_, for fuck's sake. He's had run-ins with both villains and pros since he was young. But what made Izuku so unique that, out of all the pros, semi-pros, and students wanted by the villains, _he_ was their number one target?

"Midoriya."

The voice of his former homeroom teacher brought him out of his thoughts. Aizawa was dressed in his usual hero uniform and was wearing his goggles. Beside him was a purple-haired boy with a mask on, but Izuku knew who he was. He jumped up and readied himself for a fight.

"Mr. Aizawa? Shinso? What are you guys doing here?"

"Relax, we're not here to fight you, Midoriya. We're here to make sure you leave before the villains get here," Shinso said.

"Aren't you two villains?" Izuku asked them.

"This is not a time to be sarcastic, Midoriya," Aizawa said. "Where are Bakugo and Todoroki?"

"Upstairs, sir."

"Shinso, go upstairs and get them, quickly. Remember, the elevator doesn't work."

Shinso nodded and disappeared up the stairwell. Aizawa clutched his scarf and walked over to the doors of the dorm building. He looked out over the dark campus, and even though he wasn't saying anything, Izuku knew he was keeping an eye out for villains.

"Mr. Aizawa, why are you doing this?" Izuku asked.

"Because I'm your teacher. And a teacher always looks out for his students, right?"

"But what will you do if the League of Villains finds out you helped us escape?"

Aizawa sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Shinso came back downstairs with a brainwashed Todoroki and Bakugo. "They tried to attack me, so I had no choice but to use my Quirk."

"Undo it, please, this is important," Aizawa said, lowering his goggles.

As Shinso undid the brainwashing on both Todoroki and Bakugo, Aizawa grabbed them both with his capture weapon. His Quirk was activated, and he suddenly looked very serious. Izuku, Todoroki, and Bakugo all stayed quiet as Aizawa began to speak.

"You three need to run away from here as soon as you can," he told them. "Shinso and I were out this way when we heard it come through that three wanted heroes were hiding in the U.A. dorms. I had just helped everyone else evacuate earlier. But Iida and Uraraka were worried about you three getting away, so I just _assumed_ that you had gotten away through one of the underground passageways that had been constructed since All Might—"

"Mr. Aizawa, do you know which League of Villains members are after us?" Todoroki asked.

"Dabi, Toga, Compress, and Twice."

"They were all with the Vanguard Action Squad!" Izuku said, recalling when the League of VIllains attacked their summer training camp and kidnapped Bakugo.

"Those damn bastards! I'll make them pay for kidnapping me!" Bakugo yelled.

"Sit down and shut up," Aizawa said. "You will do no such thing. They have specific orders to bring you three back and put you in prison."

"So how do we avoid that?" Todoroki asked.

"Go home and lay low for a week. I'll send someone to get you then." Aizawa turned and went to leave, and Shinso followed him.

Izuku ran after him. "How are we supposed to go home and avoid the villains at the same time?"

"You're a smart kid. Use that brain to your advantage." Aizawa and Shinso walked out of the doors.

Izuku immediately put his brain into overdrive. "We can use the underground passageways."

"But those only lead out into the middle of the city, and then we'd have to blend in with the surroundings until we get back to our families," Todoroki said.

"That won't be too hard," Bakugo said. He was surprisingly calm. He walked over to the door and looked out. "Do you guys know where the closest underground passageway is?"

"Yeah, it's at the back of U.A., hidden by a clump of bushes," Izuku said.

"Okay then let's go," said Todoroki. "We can't afford to stay here much longer and get caught by the villains."

"Yeah and if we run into any villains, we'll just fight them," Bakugo said. "I meant it when I said I was going to get revenge on them for kidnapping me."

Izuku sighed. They weren't wanted by the League of Villains for nothing after all. He handed Todoroki and Bakugo back their phones. "Let's go. If Mr. Aizawa is right, then they should be here any minute."

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, they left the dorms and began running to the underground passageway. The sun had started to make its slow ascent over the horizon, and they were losing their advantage of the night. Halfway to the underground passageway, a figure intercepted them, and each one of them prepared themselves for a fight. Izuku noticed that the way he stood looked oddly familiar to him, but he couldn't remember from where.

"My, my, Izuku," the man said. It was a voice that triggered a deep, fuzzy memory in Izuku's mind. "You've grown."

"Who are you?" Todoroki asked, taking control.

"I go by the name of Spitfire. That wasn't my hero name, of course," he said. "Izuku, you don't remember me?"

"Listen up, you fucking asshole, you better fucking move before I make you move!" Bakugo said.

The man turned to look at him. "Katsuki, you've grown as well. You're just like your mother."

Bakugo's eye twitched. Izuku couldn't place this man in his memories, at all. He watched as Todoroki's right foot rotated slightly to the left. He was anxious to run, as was Izuku. And even though he wouldn't admit it, Bakugo was too.

The man turned to face Izuku, and he finally recognized him, if only for a fleeting second. "Now Izuku, come give your dear old dad a hug."

"We got to _go_!" Todoroki yelled, grabbing Izuku.

They ran toward the door to the underground passageway, with Izuku's dad hot on their trail. Behind him, the four people from the League of Villains that were sent after them was gaining on them. After Izuku and Bakugo managed to make it into the passageway, Todoroki used his flames to weld the iron door shut.

Bakugo turned to look at Izuku and grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie. "Hey, Deku! Who the hell was that?"

"I, uh… I think it was my dad," Izuku stammered.


	2. Chapter 2

Izuku lay on his cot in his and his mother's area of their subway shelter and looked at his phone. The villain news said that they were after three of the most wanted U.A. students, but weren't able to catch them. By the time he had gotten back, word had spread, and his mother had already shed more than her fair share of tears in worry.

"Izuku, I don't want you to go out again and maybe get caught," she had told him.

"Yes, Mom."

But now that Izuku has read the villain news, he just knew he had to go back outside again. He has to see if he can gather more information about Shigaraki and All for One. His usual source on the inside has been very quiet lately; of course, they're probably out hunting heroes as well.

"Sorry Mom," he whispered as he stood up and put his black hoodie back on. He missed his blue one; it was still in his closet at the dorms.

"Izuku, where do you think you're going?"

_Dammit_. He turned and looked at his mother. "I was going to go visit All Might's grave," he told her, thinking that the truth might be best.

His mother's face softened. "Honey, I know he meant a lot to you, but I can't have you out right after you almost got caught by villains, it's just too risky. And I don't know what I would do if you were to get captured."

Izuku sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'll just go read a comic book or something."

His mom tensed up. "I know you're upset about All Might's death and I know that you feel that you need to fix everything that's going on around here, but it's okay."

Izuku just nodded. "I'm going to go and sit on the steps," he told his mother.

"Just don't go up too far," she told him.

Izuku grabbed a comic from his stuff and walked over to the stairs. He sat down and began reading it, but stopped. He laid back and closed his eyes, thinking back to his last day with All Might.

* * *

"_So, young Midoriya, you're getting stronger," All Might had said._

"_Yeah. It almost feels as if I've upped my limit on One for All," Izuku had said, smiling. _

"_Well, the more you train, the higher your limit will become." All Might had poured them each a cup of tea. "You've come a long way since inheriting my power. I'm very proud."_

_Izuku felt his face burn. He still wasn't used to being complimented by All Might, the hero he had looked up to since he was a child. He struggled to find the right words. "T-Thanks!"_

_All Might smiled. "Is something bothering you, young Midoriya?" _

"_Well, it's just that I've read that the League of Villains has been quiet for a while," Izuku had said. "Everyone thinks they're gathering strength."_

"_That could be true," All Might had said. _

_Izuku stared into his cup of tea. He didn't like the prospect of the League of Villains getting stronger. It made him feel uneasy, like he was on a never-ending rollercoaster. He set his teacup down and stood up._

_Suddenly alarms blared throughout U.A. Izuku had only heard them once before, when reporters had broken through the barrier that guarded the school. He had heard a rumor that Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains, actually helped them to get through but it was never confirmed._

"_What's going on?" Izuku asked over the caterwauling of the alarm. _

"_Young Midoriya, you must evacuate with the other students! I fear that the League of Villains is here and they are after you and the other young heroes!" All Might began to push him out into the hall, where students were running to nearby emergency exits. _

"_But All Might, I–I can't leave you to defend yourself!" Izuku had said, trying to resist being pushed out into the crowd._

"_Have no fear!" All Might had said. "Because I am here!"_

"_But —"_

_All Might had looked him straight in the eye. "Remember what I said after my last fight with All for One?"_

_Izuku thought back to the fight, and what All Might had said. "'Now it's your turn.'"_

_All Might made a fist over his chest. "That's right! Now it's your turn to become the next Symbol of Peace! I have already passed my Quirk on to you, and now, Izuku Midoriya, I pass on my mantle!"_

_Izuku sniffed before turning to leave. "I'll do my best to make you proud!"_

_Before he was able to move, Shigaraki warped into the teacher's lounge. Izuku braced himself for a fight against them, and All Might held his arm out in front of him._

"_I told you to run away," All Might had said._

"_I'm sorry, I can't do that," Izuku had told him._

"_You should do what your master tells you," Shigaraki had said._

"_Young Midoriya, I'm telling you to run away, now!" All Might had said._

_Shigaraki reached out toward Izuku, but All Might pushed him away. Shigaraki's hand wrapped around All Might's forearm, and it began to crumble. _

_Izuku turned and ran into the now-empty hallway. Iida was at the closest emergency exit and was guiding the last of the students down the stairs. Izuku ran over to him._

"_Midoriya! Why haven't you evacuated yet?" Iida had asked him._

"_I was talking with All Might, but he made me leave! He's all alone with Shigaraki back there," Izuku told him._

"_I hate to say it, but our safety takes top priority!" Iida told him. He began to run down the steps._

_Izuku nodded and went to follow him. Before he headed into the stairwell, he looked back at the teacher's lounge and saw Shigaraki come out with four fingers wrapped around All Might's throat, and the fifth dancing just above it._

"_I thought I'd let the mighty Symbol of Peace's successor see his demise." _

_Shigaraki's fifth finger touched All Might's neck, and Izuku watched as the hero he had admired since he was a kid, the hero that had given him his Quirk, died right before his very eyes._

* * *

"Hey, Midoriya!" someone said, jolting Izuku awake. "I didn't know you were here in this shelter too!"

Izuku looked around and saw Kirishima waving at him. He was leaning against the wall of the stairs and was dressed in jeans and a gray sweatshirt. His usually spiky hair was down, giving off a laid-back vibe. He walked up the steps and sat down beside Izuku.

"Hey, Kirishima. Yeah, my mom and I were sent here along with some of our neighbors." Izuku picked up a pebble and tossed it.

"Yeah, my parents and I were sent to the first shelter they had available," Kirishima said.

"Do you know about anyone else?" Izuku asked him. "Like Iida and Uraraka?"

"No. Hey, last night, about your idea – do you mind sharing it with me?"

Izuku thought it over before saying anything. "It's not finalized yet, but what I had in mind was that we could have some heroes infiltrate the League of Villains and be spies."

Kirishima nodded his head. "That sounds like a manly idea."

"Yeah, but I don't know if they have any other branches set up around the country," Izuku said. "Like, for example, we know they're based here around Tokyo, but could they have someone out recruiting in the northern and southern parts of Japan?"

Kirishima stood back up and paced back and forth. "You make an excellent point."

"Izuku?"

Izuku looked and saw his mom coming toward him. He stood up and walked over to her, and Kirishima followed him. A feeling of foreboding crept up over Izuku, and he reached out to his mom.

"Mom, what is it?"

"I just heard from the people that your father was working with over in America. They said that he had died." She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a tissue. "They don't know when they can get his body transported back here because of the villains."

"Aw man, I'm sorry about that, Midoriya," Kirishima said. "I'll leave you and your mom alone."

Izuku watched as Kirishima walked away. He didn't have the heart at the moment to tell his mother the truth, that his father had joined up with the villains. He looked at the comic book in his hands that he never got to read and sighed.

"I'll just read it later," he said to himself.

He went and laid back down on his cot. The plan he had come up with swirled around in his mind as his tuned everything around him out and his mind was whirling with thoughts. _Has All for One broken out of jail yet? I don't even have a strategy planned out on how to beat him and my power not even at 100%. I haven't even told anyone about my Quirk and what it is. I mean, besides Kacchan. Maybe I should go ahead and tell people, starting with my mom… but what if I tell her and word spreads around about it?_

"Hey, Midoriya!" Kirishima's voice called out.

Izuku stood up and walked over to where he was at. "Yeah, what's up?"

Kirishima held up his phone. "Bakugo just texted me. He said that there's a bunch of action going down near Kamino Ward."

"Kamino Ward was where the villains' first hideout was at. Surely they're not using the same location again?" Izuku said.

"I don't know, but I'm thinking of checking it out."

"Don't you remember what happened the last time we were in Kamino Ward?" Izuku said. "We nearly got caught up in All Might's fight with All for One."

"Yeah, but that was one time! Aren't you the least bit curious about what's going on?" Kirishima asked him.

Izuku didn't admit it out loud to Kirishima, but he was interested in what could have possibly happened in Kamino Ward. He knew that if they went to Kamino Ward, there would be a highly possible chance that they would run into more villains.

"If we go to Kamino Ward, we have to be very careful," Izuku told him.

"Got it," Kirishima said.

"I have to get my phone and my hoodie. Meet me at the steps to the subway entrance in five minutes," Izuku told him.

Kirishima nodded. "Should I send a message to Bakugo to meet up with us?"

"No. We'll see him soon enough," Izuku said.

* * *

**A/N: I meant to write this note on ch. 1, but here it is instead on ch. 2. I'm crossposting from AO3 to here and the summary is super-condensed. a TL,DR version of the main summary on AO3: Todoroki, Bakugo, and Midoriya are wanted heroes, with Midoriya being the #1 most wanted hero. Midoriya has a plan to help regain control of the country but he needs help from his friends. You can probably expect a random update every few weeks as the fic gets updated about once a month on AO3. I hope that answers anything about updates and stuff left out of the summary, and where else you can read it. (Same pseud on AO3, and same title.)**


	3. Chapter 3

Izuku and Kirishima stood on the roof of a building overlooking the chaos unfolding below them. About five villains were wreaking havoc on the newly rebuilt Kamino Ward, and people who had taken shelter were running about. A wall of blue flame erupted below them as the villains continued their rampage.

"That's Dabi," Izuku said. "Those were his blue flames."

"All those poor people down there!" Kirishima said. "Is there no way that we can help them out?"

"Unfortunately no."

"This sucks! What's the use of being heroes if we can't help those that are in danger?" Kirishima said.

Izuku didn't answer him. He was also upset about not being able to help the people below them, but he knew that if they risked exposing themselves, then as heroes they'd be thrown into jail. He turned his head away from the chaos below and sat down on the rooftop. He pulled his phone out and went to look at the villains' news, but found that he couldn't.

"Shit," he mumbled.

"What?" Kirishima asked, still observing Kamino Ward.

"I don't have access to the villains' news app anymore. I'm going to have to hack it again."

"That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"While you hack it again, hack it on my phone too, you damn nerd," Bakugo said, coming onto the roof. He tossed his phone over to Izuku, who luckily caught it.

As Izuku worked to try and hack back into the villains' network, Bakugo and Kirishima decided to be lookouts in case any villains chose to try and track them down. While Bakugo took the first watch, Kirishima sat down across from Izuku and tried to make small talk to drown out the screaming from below them.

"Midoriya, I didn't know you knew how to do all this," Kirishima said, gesturing to the phones in Izuku's hands.

"It's just something I picked up," Izuku said.

"Well, what else have you hacked into?"

Izuku thought long and hard. He couldn't remember what the first thing he had hacked into was, he just knew it was something classified. He shrugged. "I can't remember."

"Bull shit," Bakugo said. "You hacked into U.A.'s computer system for Kaminari that one time to change his grade. Shitty hair, you were there too. How can neither of you remember that?"

"Oh yeah," Izuku said. For some reason, his mind had blocked it off.

"Oh, man! I had forgotten about that!" Kirishima said.

"But that wasn't my first time hacking into a system," Izuku said.

Bakugo took Izuku's phone from him and immediately checked out the villain news. He scoffed as he scrolled through the feed, stopping at the article from when they attacked the U.A. dorms. The story, written by a journalist who had swapped sides and was working with them, talked about how the villains were victorious in making headway into forcing the three young heroes into hiding.

"Hey, you damn nerd!" Bakugo yelled over at Izuku. "Did you read this article closely?"

"Yes," Izuku told him.

"Well if you did, you would have seen where they said that they knew where some of us were in hiding."

Izuku put Bakugo's phone down and went over to read the article. Kirishima joined him and scanned over what little bit of the story he could read.

"I can't believe this! We left our families unprotected, and they have the locations of our emergency shelters!" Kirishima said.

"There's nothing we can do about it. We should go, before we're found out," Izuku said. He stood up and handed Bakugo's phone to him. "Here."

"Thanks, you damn nerd," Bakugo said.

"Okay, let's go," Izuku said. "I'm pretty sure a villain has probably spotted us already."

As Izuku, Kirishima, and Bakugo climbed down the fire escape, Izuku's phone buzzed. He ignored it, thinking it may be his mother. He didn't tell her where he was going, and he knew that she had to have been worried.

"We need somewhere to go for now," Kirishima said.

"Icy Hot's family is hiding out somewhere nearby," Bakugo said.

"How do you know that?" Izuku asked him.

"I just do, all right?" Bakugo retorted. "Come on. I'll show you the way."

Bakugo led them through the ravaged streets to a nearby Shinto shrine and went up to the doorway. He cleared his throat before he stepped inside.

"Hello?"

"Kacchan, you can't just go and invite yourself into someone else's property!" Izuku said. "Especially when we don't even know if they're here or not!"

Someone moved one of the tatami mats on the floor, and Todoroki's head poked through. "Bakugo? And Midoriya and Kirishima as well?"

"Yeah. We were in Kamino Ward, and I remembered that you guys were hiding near here," Bakugo said.

"Now isn't the best time. My dad is kind of in a bad mood."

Izuku sighed. Todoroki's father was Endeavor, the current Number One Hero. Or, rather, the _past_ Number One Hero. In a world of villains where the heroes are the hunted, it's understandable that his father would be in a foul mood. He had one of the highest bounties on him from the League of Villains.

"We just need a place to crash for the night, and then we'll be out of your hair in the morning, probably by five a.m.," Bakugo said, pushing past Todoroki. He headed downstairs and out into an open area.

"Shoto, I thought I told you not to let anyone in," Endeavor said.

"Sorry," Todoroki said.

Izuku and Kirishima bowed their heads. "We apologize for coming here without any notification," Izuku said.

Endeavor looked at them. "I remember you three. You were also students of U.A., weren't you?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I guess you can come on inside," he told them. "But when you leave, be sure not to tell anyone where this place is."

"Understood," Izuku said.

As they followed Endeavor down the hall, Izuku took in his surroundings. The interior was done in a very calm and serene style, with dark hardwood floor panels and light wood walls. There were lights stretching all down the hall, and sliding doors that led into each room.

"I understand you were a student of All Might's," Endeavor said, looking back at Izuku. "His death must have hit you hard."

Izuku gulped and kept looking down at his feet. _Don't answer him right away,_ he thought.

"Well, we all were students of All Might," Kirishima said. "But Izuku had the closest relationship with him. To him, All Might was almost like his father."

"It's true," Izuku said. "All Might was more of a father to me than my father will ever be."

Endeavor looked at Izuku, and over at Todoroki. "I have made mistakes as a father. I can't go back and fix my past, but I hope I can be a better father going towards the future."

Todoroki looked away. He didn't believe his father's words. But after his father's fight with High-End, he decided to forgo his painful past with his father and give him a second chance.

"It's getting late," Todoroki said. "We should all head to sleep. Especially you three, if you plan to leave early in the morning."

"Yeah, you're right," Izuku said. He stood and bowed. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go ahead and go to sleep."

Kirishima and Bakugo stood along with him. "We will too. We have to leave while it's still dark out or the villains will find us."

Endeavor stood and watched them out. "I probably won't see you guys but be careful."

"Yes, sir!"

Todoroki showed them down the hall to an empty room. "This is where you guys can stay. It's my brother Natsuo's room, but he and my sister have been staying with my mom at the hospital."

"Thanks, man. We appreciate it, really," Kirishima told him. He went into the room and laid down on his back.

"You guys wouldn't let me speak at all back there!" Bakugo said. "Were you afraid I'd say something wrong?"

"Yes," Kirishima said flatly.

Izuku stayed quiet and looked at the scars on his hand. He hadn't told anyone about One for All and seeing how only a select few, including Kacchan, knew about him being the current holder, he had decided to tell a few of his close friends since All Might's death.

_But what if they betray you?_ he thought. _In this type of world, you can't tell friend from foe now when it comes down to life and death._

"Midoriya?" he heard someone say. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. "Actually, I have something I want to say, and it can't leave this room."

Bakugo stood up and grabbed the front of Izuku's shirt. "Are you going to tell them, you fucking nerd?! After the promise you made?!"

Izuku grabbed Bakugo's arm and pushed him off. "I trust them. They won't tell anyone."

"Midoriya, what is it?" Kirishima sked.

Todoroki sat down. "Bakugo knows what this is, but he is opposed to us knowing. This must be something big if you two are the only ones who know."

Izuku pushed his nerves back. "I know you both have probably been wondering about my connection to All Might. Actually, I know everyone has been wondering. But the thing is, All Might and I have this shared connection that goes back quite a while."

Bakugo huffed. He had already heard the story from All Might himself, but hearing it from Izuku would be a treat since all he got from him was that he had a "borrowed quirk".

"Midoriya, where are you going with this?" Kirishima asked.

_I guess I better go ahead and tell them_, Izuku thought. "About a year before I started U.A., I was Quirkless. I was one of the 20% in the world that was born without a quirk."

Bakugo scoffed. "He was always made fun of as well because he thought he still had a chance of being a hero and him with no quirk."

Izuku ignored him and kept talking. "I ran into All Might one day after that Sludge Villain attacked. He had attacked me first, and All Might saved me. Then the villain attacked Kacchan, who was able to fight back. Well, we all know All Might was weak then. He had already used some of his power saving me from the sludge villain, and the fact that I tried to save Kacchan without having a Quirk stirred him to action. He saved Kacchan, and he then offered to help me get into U.A. by offering me his Quirk."

"Wait, he offered you his Quirk? How is that possible?" Kirishima asked.

"As far as Quirk history goes, there is no known quirk that can be passed down from one person to another," Todoroki said, thinking.

"Except there is," Izuku said. He proceeded to tell Todoroki and Kirishima all about the history of One for All and All for One.

"So, this insane Quirk of yours is why you've been breaking bones since the start of school?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't ready to use One for All right yet. I was using it at 100% when I was only able to use it at about 5% at the start. Each time I used it at 100%, I broke an arm or a leg."

"How many people know about One for All?" Todoroki asked.

"Well, aside from myself and All Might, there's Kacchan, and the two heroes I interned under, Gran Torino and Sir Nighteye," Izuku said. "And I don't know for sure, but Tsukauchi might know."

"And now us," Kirishima said. "So why did you bother to tell us?"

"Well, I need help with training to get stronger. I'm pretty sure that with all three of you coming at me, I can definitely up my Quirk limit," Izuku said.

Todoroki looked at him. "If it's training you want, you can ask my father to help you. I know he's been listening in, the only thing you have to do now is ask."

The door opened, and Endeavor stepped in. The scar on his face looked more profound in the shadows, and he leaned against the wall. He looked at each one of them in turn, and his eyes lingered on Izuku.

"So All Might gave you his power, right?" Endeavor said. "I can help you train, as a favor for the old number one hero."

Izuku looked at him. "I accept!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Kirishima! Try attacking Midoriya again!" Todoroki called out. "And Bakugo, you come up from Midoriya's right side while I come up from his left!"

"Don't tell me what to do, you Icy Hot bastard!" Bakugo yelled.

Endeavor stood off to the side and watched the four teenagers as they trained. He had left each of them to come up with their own training regime, and Izuku was currently getting attacked from all sides.

"Stop!" he called out, coming over to where they were fighting. "It's time for a break."

"A break?" Kirishima said. "But we just started training!"

"Let's just do what my father says," Todoroki said. "I need a break anyway. Midoriya is pretty resilient."

As they walked over to sit under a tree, Izuku stopped and looked over at Endeavor. He was busy talking on his phone with someone, and it appeared that whoever was on the other line was not backing down to him.

"Hey, Todoroki? Who is your dad talking to?" Izuku asked.

"I think it's Aizawa. I'm not sure, though. It seems like he's saying something that my dad doesn't agree with."

Endeavor hung up the phone and came over to them. He looked at the four boys sitting in the shade. "So, Aizawa has said that the League of Villains has sent out a kill on sight order for you three," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I guess you guys have gotten yourselves into some pretty deep shit."

"Yeah," Izuku said meekly, rubbing his head.

"Dad, what was Mr. Aizawa telling you that made you so angry?" Todoroki said.

"He suggested that, for your safety, you guys go somewhere else for a while. Just long enough that the League retracts the kill on sight order, and then you guys can come back."

"It's not doing any good if all we're doing is running away from our problems!" Bakugo said. "We have to get stronger so we can fight our enemy!"

"But we can't fight our enemy if they're going to kill us as soon as they see us!" Kirishima said.

Izuku stood up. "I think Mr. Aizawa is right. We should go and stay somewhere else for a while."

"What the hell are you talking about, you damn nerd?" Bakugo yelled.

"Keep your voice down, or we'll be found out," Endeavor warned.

"Do you not realize it, Bakugo?" Kirishima said. "You three pose the biggest threats to the League of Villains right now. If anyone can defeat them, it's you guys. I mean, you have this naturally strong Quirk of your own, Todoroki was born to surpass All Might, and Midoriya has the power of All Might himself. You three are the next top three."

"Hmph," Bakugo said.

"If we have to leave, I'd like a few people to come with us. I know Tokoyami and Shinso are out of the question since they're helping with spying the League, but a few of our classmates will do just fine," Izuku said.

"Who do you have in mind,?" Todoroki asked.

"Well, Kirishima, for starters. And Uraraka and Iida as well. And Yaoyorozu also."

"I think Jiro and Kaminari will also do good since Jiro does a great job of spying with her Quirk and Kaminari can jam communications with his," Todoroki said. "But I can see what you're getting at. Some of the best from our class."

"What about that girl from the support class?" Kirishima asked. "Hatsume?"

"What about her?" Izuku said.

"I know what he means," Bakugo said. "And we should get ahold of Aizawa about that Shinso kid as well. They both can be useful if we have to go into hiding."

Izuku picked up on what they were talking about. "So Hatsume can look ahead of us for any enemies, and if we come across any Shinso can brainwash them into letting us go free."

"You guys seem to have a plan in place already," Endeavor said.

"Dad, where are Natsuo and Fuyumi?" Todoroki asked.

"I told them to stay with your mother at the hospital," Endeavor told him. "We're the only two wanted people in the family. I want to protect your brother and sister and your mother."

"Because you couldn't protect Touya?" Todoroki said.

Before Endeavor could speak, his phone rang. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID. "It's Aizawa, do you want me to ask about the brainwashing kid?"

"Yes!" Izuku said.

Endeavor nodded and answered the phone. Todoroki eyed him and walked off, with Kirishima and Izuku behind him. Bakugo scowled before reluctantly following them.

"What's your old man up to?" he asked Todoroki.

"I don't know," Todoroki answered truthfully. "It's like he's just waiting on something to happen."

"Do you think he's waiting on Aizawa to give him a head's up on an attack here?" Kirishima asked.

"That's it!" Izuku said. He went to tell Endeavor that they had to leave.

"We don't know if that's it for sure." Bakugo stuffed his hands into his pockets. "For all we know, he could be getting ready to make a huge sacrifice for us."

"My father isn't that type of person," Todoroki said.

The four of them looked over at Endeavor, who was arguing on the phone with Aizawa. The scar on his face looked red in the glowing sunset. He came over to where they were standing after he had hung up his phone and sighed.

"You guys need to leave," he said.

Todoroki looked at his father. "What?"

"The League of Villains has found out about you guys hiding here, and they're going to attack here soon. If they find you guys, it's over."

"He's right, we need to leave so we can go into hiding," Izuku said. "The sooner we leave, the better chances we have of getting everyone together!"

"Yeah, you're right," Kirishima said. He began heading toward the doors, with Bakugo behind him.

"Aizawa said that he'd send that brainwashing kid your way," Endeavor told Izuku.

"Okay. Thank you so much, sir!" Izuku said, bowing. He followed his classmates to the doors and looked back to see Todoroki saying goodbye to his father.

"So will I see you again?" he asked.

"I don't know," Endeavor said.

Todoroki looked away. "Is Mom really at the hospital still?"

"No."

A long silence hung between them. Izuku and Kirishima watched the exchange quietly, while Bakugo just listened, his hand on the door. Izuku's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it.

"I apologize for all the terrible stuff I did when you were younger," Endeavor said. "I thought I had your best interests at heart but I –"

"But what?" Todoroki said.

"But I was wrong and broke up my family because of it. I hope that one day, you can forgive me."

"Let's discuss this when my life isn't in danger too," Todoroki said, smiling slightly. He turned and walked towards where Izuku, Kirishima, and Bakugo were waiting. He raised a hand in farewell. "See you, Dad!"

"Farewell, Shoto," Endeavor said. "I'm proud of you, my son."

As the four boys left the Shinto shrine, Izuku pulled out his phone. He read the text message on the screen:

**Shinso: where should I meet you guys?**

"Shinso wants to know where he can meet up with us," he said.

"Tokyo," Kirishima said. "In front of the old Team Idaten Agency building."

"You mean that we're going to get Iida as well as Shinso?" Izuku said.

"Yes. Now let's go!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Is this it?" Izuku asked. He looked up at the large decrepit building in front of him.

"What's left of it," Kirishima said.

"Bakugo, you and Kirishima go inside and check the place out. Midoriya, you and I will wait here for Shinso," Todoroki said.

"Don't tell me what to do, you Icy Hot bastard!" Bakugo said.

After Kirishima and Bakugo went into the dilapidated building, Todoroki turned to Izuku. "Have you heard from Shinso?"

"Not since he sent me that text earlier," Izuku said.

Have you messaged Iida?"

"Yeah, but he's not replied." Izuku pulled out his phone and looked at the missed call he had put off until now.

"That's odd," he said.

"What is it?"

"I had a missed call, I just assumed it was from my mother, but it's from a number I don't recognize." Izuku thumbed through his contacts. Do any of them have a number remarkably_ similar_ to it?

"Yo," a voice said, coming up to them. Izuku and Todoroki looked to see Shinso coming toward them. "Odd place to meet up."

Izuku didn't answer him. He knew full and well what Shinso could do with his Brainwashing Quirk. But he felt a sense of nervousness because he didn't know whether or not Shinso was entirely on their side or not yet.

"You can talk to me," Shinso said. "I'm not going to use my Quirk on you. Besides, since you paired up, you must have thought ahead. If one of you gets brainwashed, the other can just slap him back to reality."

_No, I didn't think of that_, Izuku thought. _Or else I would have sent Todoroki with Bakugo and Kirishima._

"We would like for you to come with us," Todoroki said. "We're searching out a few others, but it's imperative that we leave Japan for a bit."

"What use would I be to you guys?"

"We would like you to use your Quirk against anyone who recognizes us," Izuku said hurriedly. "If anyone recognized us from a wanted poster and spoke to us, you could brainwash them into thinking that we are just doppelgangers."

"That's a good idea, but there's a problem," Shinso said. "I can't use my Quirk if they're not talking directly _to_ me."

"We can find a way to make it work," Izuku said. "I know that we can."

"You're very optimistic for someone who is being hunted down in cold blood by villains," Shinso said.

"We need to have a bit of optimism if we're going to be in a war," Izuku said.

"Fine, if that's your take on things."

"Hey, Midoriya," Kirishima said, coming out of the abandoned building. "We didn't see anyone in there."

"Where's Bakugo?" Todoroki asked.

"He'll be out in a minute."

"Dammit, you fucking nerd! I thought we were going to find Four Eyes here," Bakugo said as he came out of the building.

"I didn't say Iida was here," Izuku said.

"I know where he's at," Shinso said.

"Really?"

"Wait, how can we even trust you?" Bakugo said. He got up in Shinso's face. "You were part of the League of Villains."

"Like I wanted to be," Shinso said. "I only joined them because I knew they would force me to if I didn't join up willingly."

"That doesn't make a difference to me," Bakugo said. "How do we know that you're not going to hand us over to the League and All for One?"

Shinso pushed Bakugo away. "I gladly came here of my own volition. I couldn't _wait_ to get away from the League. The fact that I was a hero impersonating a villain made me question my sanity."

There was a long silence. Bakugo slumped against the wall of the abandoned Team Idaten Hero Agency. Izuku pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head and sat down in the doorway, and thought over everything they had learned so far.

_Shinso is definitely on our side. He wants as little to do with the League as possible._ He leaned his head back and rested against the doorframe. _He'd be one of the best assets we have. Combined with the rest of us, he'd be amazing._

"So you know where Iida is?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah. He's somewhere here in Tokyo," Shinso said.

"Can you lead us to where he's at?"

Shinso nodded. "It's not far from here."

"Listen up, you damned nerd. You and Icy Hot should go with him. Kirishima and I will stay here," Bakugo said.

"That's not a good idea. The League of Villains is crawling all over, even here. You'll be captured if you stay here," Shinso said.

"Are you saying that I can't fight off a bunch of villains by myself?" Bakugo asked angrily.

"Calm down, Kacchan," Izuku said. "But I think Shinso is right. It'd be better if we all go to find Iida, that way two of us can talk to him and the other two can keep an eye out for the League of Villains."

"You gotta admit, Midoriya's idea sounds good," Kirishima said.

"Whose side are you on?" Bakugo said.

"I'm on everyone's side," Kirishima said meekly.

"I agree with Kirishima," Todoroki said. "Midoriya's idea is the best one, and we need to take some form of action because we've been standing in one spot for far too long."

"Well, well, well. It looks like I found me some stray student heroes," a voice said from above them. They looked up to see Dabi looking down at them from a shattered window in the abandoned Idaten Agency building.

"Shit!" Shinso said, pulling his hood over his head. Aizawa had told him before he left that there would be consequences in leaving the League, one of which was that he's now as high up on the wanted list as Iida, who was number five. Shinso fingered the two bingo books in his hoodie pocket, a gift from his mentor.

_"Use them well,"_ he had told him, before helping him sneak away.

"I plan on it." Shinso grabbed the hood of Izuku's jacket. "We need to go."

"We can't run and fight at the same time!" Izuku said.

"I'll deal with him," Todoroki said. "I'll catch up with you."

"Why do you have to take all the fun, Icy Hot?" Bakugo yelled.

"Come on, man let's get going," Kirishima said. "We'll send you a message when we get to Iida!"

Todoroki nodded. He focused on Dabi and braced himself. He decided to fight him long enough to give the others time to escape, and then run himself.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Dabi asked. "I mean, we both know you're only doing this so you can give your friends time to escape." He shot a fistful of blue flames at Todoroki.

"I am the only one who has a chance of beating you," Todoroki replied, countering Dabi's flames with his own.

"You mean you have that little confidence in your friends? You haven't changed, have you, Shoto Todoroki?" Dabi yelled. A large plume of flames billowed toward Todoroki.

"How do you know who I am?" Todoroki asked, blocking his attack with a wall of ice. He searched for Dabi, who appeared suddenly in front of him.

"You mean you still haven't gotten it?" Dabi asked. "I'll give you a hint. I am you, and you are me."

Todoroki hesitated. He barely had time to react when Dabi surrounded them with blue flames.

"Sorry, but I was asked to bring one of you back alive. If I don't, it'll be hell for me."

"Sorry but I'm not getting captured today," Todoroki said. He put his hand to the ground and created a large ice pillar beneath him. He escaped to the nearest rooftop and used his Quirk to go from building to building.

"I let him off easy," Dabi said quietly. "Next time he probably won't be as lucky."

* * *

"I'm glad you could catch up," Shinso said, turning to look at Todoroki. "I thought Dabi would have overpowered you."

"You're seriously underestimating Todoroki if you think that," Kirishima said.

"Thanks," Todoroki said. "So how much farther do we have to go before we reach Iida?"

"We're already here," Shinso said. He pointed to the door of a seemingly abandoned market. Izuku noticed that the windows were covered with boards.

"Are you sure?" Bakugo asked. "Because if you led us into a trap, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Trust me," he said. "He's right in there."

Izuku hesitated before knocking on the door. It opened a crack, and a large brown eye peeked out at him.

"Deku?" a familiar voice asked.

"Uraraka?"

He heard a lot of scuffling, and the door opened a bit wider. He saw some of his classmates inside the building. He, along with Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Shinso, were forcefully pulled inside by Iida and Kaminari.

"You didn't tell us Uraraka and Kaminari were here as well," Kirishima told Shinso.

"I only knew of Iida being here. I didn't know of Uraraka and Kaminari being here as well."

"It's not just us," Kaminari said. "Yaoyorozu and Jiro are also here. When we had to escape, we had to do it quickly. Our shelters were too far away, so Iida offered us a spot here with him."

"And for that, we're truly grateful," Yaoyorozu said.

"We were worried about you guys after the villains attacked U.A., we didn't know if they got you guys or not," Uraraka said. "Kaminari has been sneaking and getting newspapers every day to see."

"We're fine. We did run into Dabi on our way here, but Todoroki took care of him. And we came to ask you guys a question," Izuku said. "And since you're all gathered here, it makes it much easier on us."

"What is it?" Iida asked.

"We have to leave Japan, and go overseas to get away from All for One. I was wondering if you guys would like to come with us, and be part of our team. The team to reclaim Japan for the heroes."

"You can count me in!" Uraraka said.

"Of course I will come along," Iida said. "It would be an honor to fight by your side."

"Yeah! Road trip!" Kaminari said.

"I don't know," Yaoyorozu said hesitantly.

"We could use your help," Todoroki said. "You have one of the most powerful Quirks, and you're the top student in the class."

Yaoyorozu blushed "Well, okay, then."

"Also, we want Jiro to come along," Izuku said. He turned to look at Jiro, who had just walked into the room. "If anyone is working for the League overseas, you can use your Quirk to give us a heads up before they attack us."

"The surprise attacks have been our number one problem. We need a way around them, and that way is you, Jiro," Kirishima said.

"I don't know..." Jiro said. "I mean, you said yourself that the League of Villains might have people working them overseas."

"The League of Villains are nothing that we can't handle," Bakugo said. "I still need to deliver a little bit of payback for them abducting me."

"So, Midoriya, where are we going?" Kaminari asked.

"I've been thinking," Izuku said. "And I think that we should go to the United States."

"Are you sure about this? There are many other options besides the United States!" Iida said.

"I'm sure. The country is much larger than Japan. Plus to get to us, the League would have to cross the Pacific Ocean," Izuku pointed out.

Shinso tapped him on his shoulder. "I think we should go."

Izuku looked at him. "Are they on their way here?"

Jiro plugged her Earphone Jacks into the floor. Everyone stayed quiet as she listened for the possibility of villains outside.

"Well?" Uraraka whispered.

"They're coming up fast, from the south."

Todoroki crept to the windows. He peeked through the boards and saw Dabi from the League of Villains directing people where to look. He felt beads of sweat roll down his face as everyone went their separate directions, and then suddenly Dabi looked straight at him.

"Shit," he whispered loudly, ducking down.

"What is it?" Uraraka asked.

"I think they know where we are. Dabi looked right at me."

Jiro held up her hand, and everyone quieted down. "They've gone off in different directions, but none have seemed to realized we're here."

Todoroki sighed with relief. "Good."

"Where are the closest villains at?" Izuku asked Jiro.

"Right out front," she told him.

Izuku looked at Iida. "Do you know if there's another exit to this building?"

Iida nodded. "Yeah, come with me."

"Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Kirishima, you guys come too," Izuku said. "Uraraka, you stand there at the end of the hall. And Kaminari, Todoroki, and Kacchan, you guys stand here and keep watch. If anyone starts trying to come in, you all come our way, and we'll run."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, you damn nerd!" Bakugo said.

"Midoriya, you have the lead here. We'll listen to you," Todoroki said.

"All right."

Izuku followed Iida to the back of the building, where the door to the loading dock was. He inspected it carefully; it was made of heavy metal and would injure them if they tried to break through it.

"I don't think we can break through this without injuring ourselves," he said.

Jiro plugged her jacks into the door. "There's no one outside. This may be our only chance to escape."

"There's also a side door leading into an alley, but that puts us at the disadvantage of being seen by the League of Villains," Iida said.

"If we run into minor members of the League, I'll deal with them," Shinso said.

Izuku nodded. "Iida, can you show Jiro the door so she can check to see if anyone is nearby?"

"Yeah. Come with me," Iida said, leading Jiro down the hall.

Izuku turned to look at Shinso. "Shinso, do you know how it's looking with Kaminari, Todoroki, and Kacchan?"

"Yeah, so far no one has tried to break in yet."

Iida came toward him then. "There's no one outside the back door either!"

"So we have two options to escape through," Izuku murmured.

Uraraka came down the hall and stood behind Shinso. "Uh, Deku, Bakugo sent me back here to tell you that you need to hurry up and decide which way we're going to escape through. I think the villains outside are—"

Suddenly a loud crash came from the main room. He heard Todoroki and Bakugo fighting in the main room, and he turned to look at every one.

"Here's what we're going to do. Shinso, you brainwash the villains in the main room, so Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kaminari have time to escape back here," Izuku said. Shinso nodded and left, going to the main room. "Iida and I will focus on breaking down the door with Kirishima's help. Yaoyorozu, can you make an insulator sheet to cover all of us so Kaminari can use his Quirk safely?"

"Of course!" she said.

Jiro came running back to them. "What was that crash?" she asked.

"The villains have broken in," Iida told her.

Shinso came back with Todoroki and Bakugo in tow. Kaminari was lagging behind them and entered the hall just as Yaoyorozu finished making the insulator sheet.

"Everyone, hurry and get under here!" she said.

"Is it big enough?" Uraraka asked.

"It should be."

"Okay everyone, get ready!" Kaminari yelled. A villain stumbled toward him. "Indiscriminate Shock! 1,300,000 Volts!"

Flashes of electricity danced around as Kaminari's laughter filled the building. Villains dropped to the ground, and Bakugo poked his head out from under the blanket.

"Took you long enough."

"Hey, I had to wait on you guys to take cover!" Kaminari said sheepishly.

"Okay, now Iida, Kirishima, let's break down the door," Izuku said.

"Right!"

"You guys might want to step back for this," Kirishima advised.

Izuku adjusted his foot's placement on the wall behind him. He looked over at Iida, who was doing the same. Iida nodded, signaling that he was ready, and Kirishima activated his Quirk. Izuku channeled One for All throughout his body and pushed off the wall with his foot at the same time that Iida's Recipro Burst propelled them forward, knocking the door to the loading dock down.

"Awesome job, you guys!" Uraraka said.

"We have the door down, but now we're underground. I don't know if this will be a help or a hindrance to us," Iida said.

Kirishima pointed to a delivery van halfway down the loading ramp. "We can take that and leave!"

"Are you suggesting we commit theft? That's crazy!" Iida said.

"We are wanted heroes. A crime like theft is nothing compared to that," Todoroki said.

"Yeah, you're right."

"We should go before the villains in the main room come to!" Izuku said and began to run to the van. He heard the pounding of feet on the concrete floor behind him and stopped in his tracks when both Bakugo and Todoroki overtook him with their Quirks.

"You guys, be careful about using your Quirks underground!" he called out.

"Shut your damn mouth, Deku!" Bakugo yelled.

_Well, if they're doing it, then I can too!_ Izuku channeled One for All through his body and caught up with Bakugo and Todoroki as they neared the van. Iida was not far behind them.

"Hey, Deku," Bakugo said. "How much do you trust that mind controlling freak?"

Izuku looked over at Shinso, who was running alongside Kaminari. "Honestly… I don't know. We thought that he wouldn't be able to come with us, but he was able to leave so easily…"

"For now, let's not show that we're suspicious of him," Todoroki said. "Especially since your Quirk is—"

"So, who's driving?" Kirishima asked, interrupting Todoroki.

"I will," Bakugo said. "I'm not one to hesitate when it comes to driving."

"You might need to fight off any villains that chase us," Shinso said. "I'll drive."

"Did you not hear me? I said I'd drive!" Bakugo roared.

"You, Midoriya, and Todoroki are our three best fighters for long-range fighting, followed by Yaoyorozu and Kaminari. The rest of us are better suited for close combat, which wouldn't be much help if villains attacked us on the road." Shinso sighed. "Even though I would be unable to use my Quirk if we were attacked, it'd still be for the better if I were the driver since the rest of you are wanted heroes. There's a possibility that the news of my leaving the League of Villains hasn't spread yet."

Bakugo crossed his arms. He couldn't deny that Shinso had made excellent points. He stalked around to the back of the truck and opened the back doors. He climbed in and sat down behind the passenger seat.

Jiro climbed in after him and sat behind the driver's seat. Shinso was busy inspecting the van and happened to find a spare key in the tire well.

"I can't believe they'd be so stupid as to leave a key in the tire well," he scoffed. He looked over and saw Kirishima getting into the passenger seat. He held out an arm and stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm getting in," Kirishima said. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I think it'd be better if you sit in the back with everyone else," he told him. "That way, no one who stops us will recognize you from all those wanted posters."

"Yeah, you're right." Kirishima headed around to the back of the van and waited to follow Uraraka and Izuku in.

"You can go ahead of me, Kirishima," Izuku said. "I have to ask Shinso something."

He went up to the driver's side of the van, where Shinso was fumbling with the ignition. He waited a few minutes before clearing his throat. "Why didn't you want Kirishima up in the front with you?"

"It's like I said, you guys are wanted heroes. Plus, I was a member of the League of Villains. There's a chance that some villains may not know I have left the League yet."

Izuku held up his phone, the villain news app he had hacked into open to show that it had been spread far and wide that Shinso was now a wanted criminal. "Oh, really? You think they don't know already?"

Shinso held out one of the two books Aizawa gave him. It was the one with tabs on all villains that the League was trying to recruit. "You know what this is? This is a bingo book of villains. Most of them are ones that the League has recruited. But some are still out there. And these aren't your normal flunkies either; these are C-rank villains and higher."

Izuku stared at the small book in Shinso's hand. He felt like he needed to know the names of the villains that had been recruited by the League of Villains. But how was he going to get the book without Shinso noticing? And there was the fact that if there was a bingo book for villains, then there was one for heroes as well.

"You need to get in so we can leave," Shinso told him.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Izuku said. He headed around to the back of the van and nearly bumped into Bakugo. "K-Kacchan! What are you doing?"

"Got an idea on how to steal that book yet, you damn nerd?" Bakugo asked him quietly.

"Not yet," he admitted. "And I think there may be a book for heroes as well."

"If you come up with an idea to steal it, let me know. We could use it. And if he's got a second one, we could use it as well." Bakugo climbed back into the van.

"Okay," Izuku said. He hesitated before following Bakugo into the van. _What was with Kacchan just now?_

"Is everyone in back there?" Shinso called.

"Yeah, we're in!" Izuku called out, shutting the back doors.

Shinso turned the key in the ignition, and the van roared to life. He had only insisted on driving because he thought he had the most experience, but now that he was behind the wheel everything he knew about driving left him.

"You know, it usually helps if you put your seatbelt on first," Kaminari said, poking his head in between the seats.

"Yeah, you're right," Shinso said. He buckled his seatbelt.

Kaminari climbed into the front seat. "I'll sit up here since the back is a bit cramped."

"I said that you should sit back there," Shinso said, shifting into reverse.

"I wouldn't be any help if we were attacked," Kaminari said. "We're in a mobile lightning rod. Everyone would get hurt."

"Fine. Have it your way. Hey Midoriya, where are we headed?" Shinso called out as he shifted the gearstick into drive.

"Back to the U.A. dorms. We all still have clothes there, so instead of putting our families at risk, we'll get stuff from there," Izuku said.

"That's a good idea!" Uraraka said.

"Thanks," he said, smiling.

"Okay, back to U.A. it is," Shinso said. He pulled out of the loading dock and onto the road and headed for U.A.


	6. Chapter 6

"_Hey, you damn nerd! Are you sure coming to the States was a good idea?"_ Bakugo yelled into Izuku's ear.

"_Geez, Bakugo, chill out,"_ Kirishima said.

Izuku looked over at Uraraka and laughed nervously. They had come to the United States, and each of them was separated into teams of two.

"How can no one here realize what's going on in Japan?" Uraraka asked, her voice low.

"They must be keeping the villains' takeover secret from them," Izuku said.

"Oh my god! I l know you!" a girl said, coming up to Izuku.

"Sorry! We're on our way to meet up with some friends," Uraraka said, grabbing Izuku's arm. She pulled him away down the sidewalk.

On the other end of their headsets, Yaoyorozu sighed. "That was a close one."

Todoroki nodded. His red and white hair was obscured by an impromptu baseball cap Yaoyorozu had created for him. "If he had been found out, it would have created a lot of problems."

"_What is everyone's location?"_ Iida asked.

Todoroki looked up. "We're in front of an ice cream shop," he said. Yaoyorozu nudged him and pointed down the sidewalk.

"We can go that way, and no one will see us," she whispered to him.

Todoroki nodded. "Let's go."

"_Kaminari, Jiro, what about you guys?"_

"_We're in front of an extremely loud electronics display!"_ Jiro said.

A loud blast of music came through the earpieces, and Shinso and Iida covered their ears.

"That had to be from where Jiro is at," Iida said.

"I think my hearing is damaged," Shinso said. He pulled his hand away from his ear and noticed blood on his hand.

"If your ear is damaged, we need to get you some medical care right away!" Iida said.

"It'll be fine. But our earpieces are destroyed. So that sound means we were targeted. We need to regroup with whoever is closest to us and get out of here."

"That would be Jiro and Kaminari," Iida said. "They shouldn't be too far from here."

_I hope that I can trust the others can understand the position we're in as well_, Iida thought.

On the other end of the town, Izuku pulled out his earpiece and slipped it into his pocket. Beside him, Uraraka did the same and sighed.

"I hope everyone else is okay," she said.

"Hey Uraraka, do you trust me?" Izuku said lowly.

"Yeah, why?"

He reached over and grabbed her wrist. "Come with me and hurry."

He led her down the sidewalk, going in the opposite direction of the passing people. He was talking as he walked, but she only caught snippets of what he was saying. But what she heard was enough for her to understand.

"That sound targeted us?"

"Yeah. Whatever it was, it was meant to be for us. It wasn't Jiro's Earphone Jack. And we're all at a disadvantage if we're split up, so we need to regroup."

Uraraka nodded. "Iida and Yaoryorozu both will probably have realized this."

"Yes. Todoroki as well. So they'll be heading for the closest group, which for Iida and Shinso is Jiro and Kaminari, and for Todoroki and Yaoyorozu is…"

Izuku groaned as he realized that he and Uraraka were the farthest from anyone. He tried to do the mental math to see how far the closest pair was from them.

"I think Todoroki and Yaoyorozu are the closest to us, but we're so far from them it almost makes no sense in meeting back up with them."

"So do we stay here?" Uraraka asked.

Izuku nodded. "So far we've been lucky in going unnoticed. Maybe if we stay here, instead of meeting up with the others, we'll stay unnoticed."

Uraraka nodded. "Yeah, you have a point."

Someone pushed past them then, jostling Izuku and forcing him into a nearby newsstand.

"Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing?" the vendor asked him as he picked up the newspapers that had fallen.

"S-Sorry!" Izuku called out.

"Some police officers followed that guy," Uraraka said.

"Wonder what happened."

_"Midoriya! Uraraka! Are you guys okay?"_ Iida's voice said suddenly.

"Our earpieces are working again?" Uraraka asked.

_"I created a device that helped get them all back on the same frequency,"_ Yaoyorozu said. _"Someone used a Quirk that scrambled them."_

_"Listen, we need to meet back up with you guys. There's a villain around here somewhere, and word is he's got a few doses of Trigger,"_ Todoroki said.

Izuku felt his breath catch in his throat. From what he remembered from his participation in the battle against the Shie Hassaikai, Trigger was a Quirk enhancing drug, and it was dangerous. The potency of the drug varied by location as well; since they were in America, the effects would last quite a bit longer than the Asian version of the drug.

"We'll be waiting by the train station," Izuku said, his voice lowered. "Take the earpieces out and break them before coming. Make sure you're not followed."

He turned to look at Uraraka, who was pulling her earpiece out of her pocket. He held out his hand.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" she asked him.

Izuku nodded as he dropped the earpieces on the ground. He brought the heel of his foot down on them, and they splintered into hundreds of pieces.

"Let's go. I think Iida and Shinso were the closest to the train station."

As they weaved in and out of the crowd, Uraraka couldn't help but notice that Izuku looked troubled. The villains they encountered during their battle against the Shie Hassaikai were some of the most dangerous ones yet, and their leader, Overhaul, ended up missing. Izuku had defeated him with the help of Eri, their old boss' granddaughter, after Overhaul fused himself with one of his subordinates.

"Here it is!" Izuku said, walking up to the base of the stairs. "The train station."

"It's about time you guys got here," Shinso called out to them.

"We were stuck in the crowd," Izuku said.

"Iida and I found someone while we were on our way here," he said. "Follow me."

Izuku and Uraraka followed Shinso through the throngs of people until they spotted Iida standing with a pink-haired girl looking downright unhappy.

"I thought you said Hatsume had left Japan," Izuku whispered to Shinso.

"She said she came here so she could showcase her, um, _babies_ to the American heroes. Plus there was someone here who was interested in working with her," he whispered back.

"Midoriya! It's been a while!" Hatsume said. "I trust you've been well?"

"Uh, yeah. How about you?" Izuku stammered.

"Just great! My babies have been a big hit here in America!"

"She's been working with me on I-Island. We're here to meet up with a client who wanted to invest in one of Hatsume's items," someone said from behind Izuku.

He turned to see a girl with blonde hair waving at him. "Melissa!"

"Hi, Deku! What brings you guys here?"

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know where to begin. How could he explain to Melissa, who grew up calling All Might her uncle, how he had died?

"We're here because we are wanted heroes," Todoroki said from behind Izuku.

"I don't know if you've heard of the League of Villains, but they want us dead. This damned nerd here is their top priority," Bakugo added.

"I've heard of them. Listen, Hatsume, and I are about to leave. Do you guys want to come with us?" Melissa asked.

"We're still missing Jiro and Kaminari; otherwise we would. Sorry," Izuku said. "Maybe we can catch up with you guys later?"

Melissa handed him a card. "This is where we're staying. If you guys change your minds, feel free to send me a message."

"Okay."

After seeing them off, Izuku turned to Shinso and Uraraka. "Have either of you heard from Kaminari or Jiro?"

"No. I'm getting worried," Uraraka said.

"Hey, we're here!" Kaminari said, running toward them. Jiro was behind him. "I think it's a good idea if we leave here."

"Someone on the street stopped us and asked us if we were from U.A. High in Japan! Then we practically got mobbed by a bunch of people who wanted to know what it was like over there," Jiro said.

"You're right. It'd be a good idea if we leave. People here know more than they let on," Izuku said. "For all we know, someone from the League of Villains could be here right now."

"When is the next train leaving? Maybe we can get tickets," Yaoyorozu said.

"According to the schedule the train leaves at 2:30 pm," Iida said. "If we're lucky, we may be able to get some tickets. But where are we going to go?"

Izuku looked at the card Melissa had given him. "We'll go and talk to Melissa and Hatsume. We may be able to stay out of the public eye if we're with them."

"It's too bad we don't have our costumes. We could seriously use them if we're going to be fighting villains," Uraraka said.

Izuku had a sudden idea pop into his head. "I can't believe I didn't think of that," he started muttering. "Of course, I'd have to ask Hatsume and Melissa if they can do it…"

"Listen, you damn nerd. If you're going to have an idea, we want to know what it is too!" Bakugo said.

"Oh! I was thinking–what if we had Hatsume and Melissa create all new costumes for us? Our costumes are well known to the villains, and if we wear them, they can find us easily."

"That's a good point," Uraraka said.

"I think a stealthy black would be a good option as long as it is adaptable to our Quirks!" Iida said.

"I agree with Iida. As long as there is something built in to help regulate my body temperatures, I'm okay with black costume color," Todoroki said.

"So I guess we're all in agreement on black for a unified costume color?" Izuku asked.

Everyone nodded their head. Izuku let out a deep, slow breath.

"It's just beginning. We're going to take back Japan. Us and the rest of our class!"

As they left to get their tickets, someone stood up from the bench and began following them. She usually wore some outfit, but today she had nothing on. No one could tell, however, because she was invisible.

_Why do I have to be the one to follow them?_ Toru Hagakure thought. She couldn't relay any info to the League of Villains, but a member was waiting just up ahead with a bag of clothes for her. She followed her friends to where Dabi was standing and tapped his shoulder.

"It's me," she said, grabbing the bag by his feet.

"So what did you find out?" he said.

"They're leaving on the 2:30 pm train," she said. "They didn't say where to, though." She ducked into the nearby women's restroom and hurriedly dressed.

"Don't worry. There's only one train leaving at that time. Let's go," Dabi said.


	7. Chapter 7

"Have we heard from Dabi yet?" Shigaraki asked.

"As far as I know, he's not found them yet," Mr. Compress said.

"That's not good, **that's great!**" Twice said.

"Now, now. We can't judge him because he hasn't found them yet. After all, the group he's after has All Might's successor, and the boy has proven himself to be extremely intelligent," a cold voice said, cutting through the chatter.

"If Dabi finds them, I'd like to go and head them off, if you don't mind, sir. My son and I have some unfinished business to attend to," Hisashi Midoriya said.

All for One crossed his legs and nodded. "Anything to get that

Aizawa leaned back against the wall and listened to the conversation unfolding around him. He was in the League of Villains' hideout and was aching for just a few minutes of rest. But he knew that there was no rest for the wicked.

"Eraserhead, would you like to go with them?" All for One asked. "I know you must have a burning desire to see your students again and ask Izuku Midoriya why he kept such a powerful Quirk a secret from you."

"I have no desire to do such," Aizawa said. "If Midoriya had a reason to keep it quiet, then that's none of my concern."

Neito Monoma, who was sitting at a table near All for One, smirked. After discovering his Quirk was a watered-down version of his own, All for One requested him to be his successor instead of Shigaraki. Not everyone was happy with this change in plans, however; Shigaraki was still pissed about having looked for a reason for so long to kill All Might, only to have his position usurped by a teenager.

As the tension in the air mounted, Shigaraki's phone rang. He answered it with a hint of disgust in his voice. "Dabi, we've been waiting to hear from you."

As Shigaraki walked away to talk to Dabi on the phone, Monoma looked at Aizawa. His smirk had an air of mischief about it, and after Shigaraki's back was turned, he leaned over to speak to Aizawa.

"So, Mr. Aizawa — I mean, Eraserhead — do you know where Shinso went?" he asked.

"No idea," Aizawa said.

"Oh, come now, Eraser, I'm sure you must know where he and your students went."

Aizawa didn't answer him. It was clear that All for One was letting him try his hand at interrogating him, and he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of getting an answer. He turned away from Monoma and walked toward the entrance to the hideout.

"Where do you think you're going, Eraserhead?" All for One asked.

"I have some errands to run," he said. "I'll be back soon."

"Eraserhead, take Tokoyami with you," Shigaraki said. "Dabi and Hagakure have found them, and we may need you guys to meet up with them."

Aizawa waited while Tokoyami came out of a corner of the hideout. He slid his hand into his jacket and felt to make sure that the package he was entrusted with was still there.

_Damn you, All Might_, he thought.

"Are you ready, sir?" Tokoyami asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

After they had left, Shigaraki turned to look at the people still in the hideout. "Toga, Compress, Twice. Follow them. If either show signs of disloyalty, kill them."

"Oh, goody! Finally, some fun!" Toga said.

"Let's put on a show for them," Compress said.

"This is going to be great! _**I hate it!**_" Twice said.

After the three of them left, Monoma turned to Shigaraki. "Are you sure it was a wise idea to send all three of them out against Aizawa?"

"You raise a good point, Monoma. But Tomura, you have a plan in mind, don't you?"

"He's had a hold of something from All Might for ages," Shigaraki said. "If it makes its way to its intended owner, then we're done for. However, I'd like to stop it before it can leave his hands. It's likely that Eraserhead can't use his Quirk on Twice or Toga. So that's why I sent Compress and, if he values his life, Tokoyami."

"That's amazing," Monoma said. "I never would have thought that far ahead."

"Shigaraki was raised with a mind like me. However, if we take down Eraserhead, then we take down possibly one of the strongest pillars of the hero society. It is a necessity to ensure our victory in the coming battle that he dies."

Across town, Aizawa was meeting up with the former homeroom teacher of class 1-B, Vlad King. He handed him the package he had kept hidden.

"This needs to get to Melissa Shield on I-Island. There's a note inside; apparently, it tells what to do," Aizawa told him.

"Okay. I'll mail this right away," Vlad King said. He huffed. "I can't believe Monoma was chosen to be All for One's next host. He saw how hard All Might fought against him. Sometimes I want to slap that kid!"

"I do as well," Aizawa admitted. "I have to go before they find me here. Remember — Melissa Shield on I-Island."

"Got it."

After Vlad King had left, Aizawa went back to Tokoyami. "Okay, I'm done. Did Shigaraki say where Dabi and Hagakure were?"

"No," Tokoyami said.

"He didn't tell you guys, but he told us!" a voice said from above them. Mr. Compress leaped down onto the concrete.

"Shit!"

"He wants you to hand over what was in that package you had," Toga said, "And we can kill you if we have to."

"If my student can successfully defeat the League of Villains, with my death being one of the first casualties in the war, so be it. Izuku Midoriya _will_ defeat you."

A long black tendril pierced his chest. Tokoyami, who had been silently watching, looked on in horror.

"Izuku Midoriya will defeat me? Don't make me laugh," All for One said coldly. He had followed the three senior League of Villains members out to Aizawa's location. "He can't even admit that he is too weak to take me on by himself."

"I know Midoriya," Aizawa said, coughing up blood. "And he will defeat you and restore the peace to this country. He will live a life of happiness in a world of peace with his friends. That is the Midoriya I believe in."


End file.
